Last year I reviewed the Samsung M5 Smart Monitor. This year, the Smart Monitor series is expanded with M7 and M8 series. The M7 comes with 32-inch and 43-inch starting from S$576, while the M8 comes in 32-inch and retails at S$988 in Singapore.
I compared the specs between the M7 and M8 series and this is what I found:
- 4K AI Upscaling with NQM AI Processor
- Fewer connectivity ports: 2x USB-A, 1x HDMI, 1x USB-C
- 360 Audio Mode
- SlimFit Camera
- Higher brightness at 400 cd/m2
- HDR10+ Certified
- Adaptive Sound Pro
- Height adjustable stand with 90-degree pivot
The biggest advantage of getting a smart monitor instead of a normal computer monitor is that it comes with smart TV features. Yes, this monitor is essentially no different from a Smart TV like the Samsung Frame I just reviewed. There are two USB ports that you can connect any peripherals or external storage to get access and watch the content directly. I plugged the Creative Pebble X to get better sound as the built-in speakers are lacking in the midrange.
The Smart Monitor comes with a sturdy stand and supports pivot, tilt and height adjustments. The remote control is identical to other Samsung Smart TV, and supports solar charging or USB charging.
It also comes with the SlimFit Camera which is magnetically attached to the top of the monitor. There is a magnetic lens cover to protect the glass element and your privacy when not in use. You can use the camera directly with the Smart TV mode, where it turns on during a workout so that you can observe your posture with the video played side by side.
The camera does not seem to have smart facial contrast, so the face does not get illuminated as aggressively as some of the premium webcams in the market. However, it has smart zoom and will digitally centralised the framing.
I spent some time exploring the Picture-In-Picture and Picture-By-Picture modes. The Smart Monitor, like many Samsung Tizen-powered Smart TV, has numerous ways to share your screen with multiple devices – either share with a Smart TV app (like YouTube), or smartphone, laptop, SlimFit Camera. It can connect by HDMI, USB-C or wireless display modes. You can also change the size of both displays.
I have to say that it can be a pain to toggle the settings between the two video inputs using the remote control. For instance, to change the channel or another video in the Smart TV app side, you have to select the display before you can use the remote. If you want to resize the display of the HDMI input, you can to press-hold to enable display switch, then press the select button to accept. Oftentimes, I mispressed the command and I ended up triggering the back button within the Smart TV app itself, so I accidentally exited the YouTube video. When I tried to reselect the same video, I had to wait for 30 seconds for the annoying YouTube advertisement. Google is terribly smart that they pushed adverts every time before a video starts because they detected the presence of the Smart TV. If you want to watch YouTube videos frequently on Smart TV, you better subscribe to YouTube Premium to save you a lot of time when browsing videos.
Nevertheless, the massive 32-inch display is excellent for collaboration over multiple devices. In the above photo, I was planning our upcoming Japan holiday with wifey and we connected my laptop and her iPad to display side by side on the M80D.
In terms of display quality, while the M80D supports 4K AI upscaling, but it can never look as great as native 4K content. To me, it’s a gimmick since all monitors and TVs perform upscaling of lower-resolution content to fill the screen.
Verdict
I think a computer monitor that doubles as a smart TV is rather useful. It is more convenient to access streaming platform without using a computer. It saves the need to buy a separate TV for consumers who do everything in a single-room. I will definitely consider buying a “Smart Monitor” when my current monitor breaks. However, the M8 retail price of over S$900 is very steep. To me, the S$500+ 32-inch Samsung M7 Smart Monitor at almost half the price would be a smarter choice. I’m sure the S$400 price difference for the M8 is justified from the specs point of view, but I’m not sure if it is worth paying that much for.
